Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-06-02
QUEER HEBREW SIGNS.
SEEN IN A WALK IN THE POLISH
JEW QUARTER or NEW YORK.
A Reporter Attempts to Decipher One
Of the Curious Sign Notwithstanding
About Judisch- Deutsch aud the An
Client Hebrew Tongue.

4 So
Client Hebrew Tongue.
New York's miles of sign boards present
an endless variety of peculiar names, oc-
equations and photography, and a diver
sity of foreign languages, which embraces
nearly every nation on the globe. The
odd signs are usually to be found in these
localities of the city where the foreigners
of a certain nationality have hived them
selves, and made up district distinct
lively their own. Within few years
there has been an immense immigration
of the Polish Jews to this country. Their
homes in this city have been, as q rule,
located in Bayard, Division, Chatham,
Essex and Hester streets. The stores
along these thoroughfares advertise their
wares in signs written in Hebrew charac
tiers. The most ordinary observer is apt
to note with some curiosity that the name
of the article IS written from right to left,
and the fl cure stating the price is written
according to our own usage. Thus, in
stead of writing rs in English, "Meat-
10c., - these Hebrew signs express it as
'10c-taeM."
A reporter happened to be standing in
front of u liquor store i'll Essex street,
engaged il an attempt to decipher one OF
these curious sign boards. He was ac-
costed by an elderly gentleman, who wore
small black velvet skull cap. He asked
the reporter whether he could read tho
sign.
The latter answered, ''No, sir Can yous'
'sOh, yes, l can,' replied the old man.
"That top line reads: 'Likcr store; Die
best, Trinke.
"Why that isn't Hebrew" exclaimed
The learned reporter. '.I..at's mixture
of English and German
"Quito correct said the stranger
"that is what is known as Judisch-
Deutsch, but it seems to me since the
English words have been SO frequently
used, the name scarce covers it. -
ABOUT JuDIsCH DEUTsCH.
The reporter asked the old man to tell
him something about JudiSch-Deutsch.
He readily consented.
''The name of Judisch-Deutsch,' he
said, s'literally translated, means Hebrew
German. 1t is not a language, but din
lect, or, as the Polish Jews themselves
term it, a jargon. 1t takes it's name from
the fact that it is written in Hebrew char
acters, but it's preponderant element is
German. 1t contains words from almost
every language, but the extensive use OF
English is very recent. Its history, like
that of all languages, would be the history
of the people who speak it, and would
show the singular wanderings of the Jews
since the earliest ages. At very early
date in the worlds history the Jews
traversed, with the Phoenicians, the Med
iterranean sea and Atlantic ocean, and
We're engaged in trading with Britain and
the northern part of Germany. About
the year 500 B. G. Jewish travellers were
found in Greece, Italy and Spain. From
the latter country they wandered into
France, and about the twelfth century
they were strongly intrenched in Germany
and parts of Austria. Here they learned
the German language, Still retaining a
large portion of the words picked up in
other countries, the result was conglom-
crate of German, Spanish. French, Sla-
vonian and other tongues, the first named
being the chief element And from this
remarkable pot pol1rri of languages was
produced what is known as Judisch-
Deutsch There were also some few Eng
ish words, but scarcely sufficient to be
termed factor in its composition.
sAs education became more widely diff
fused in Germany, and the jews were Of
Tered better opportunities for becoming
cultured and enlightened, their use Of this
dialect gave place TO more correct and
polished German, but it is still spoken in
many of the doris in that country.
Those of the race, however, who travelled
still further east and settled in Poland
and Russia have never had any chance for